Chapter 487: In the eyes of men, they are all toys

What is the difference between the Chinese version of 'Flyboard Air' and the original 'Flyboard Air'?

The two are essentially identical in structure, consisting of a fuel pack, a flying board, and an operating system. Both utilize five micro-jet turbine engines, but the Chinese version of the 'Flyboard Air' features advanced vectoring. This means that even if one engine fails, the remaining four still allow for normal flight. The original 'Flyboard Air' would have crashed, killing everyone on board. This significantly improves safety!

After all, it's a machine developed by Chinese people, so how can we not pay attention to safety? Even "The Wandering Earth" promotes the saying "of a thousand roads, safety comes first"...

Even more amazing is that this thing can be unmanned, turning it into a drone for transporting supplies! This is something the original 'Flyboard Air' simply can't do.

Of course, this thing also has a shortcoming: that is the range.

This thing can only travel 20 kilometers in less than ten minutes at full speed with a full load of fuel - the speed is okay, about 150 kilometers per hour, but the endurance is a bit poor. Unless this problem can be improved by increasing the engine thrust and fuel capacity, the road to practical application of this thing is still a bit far.

But this "practical application" refers to military use. Why would an ordinary person like Xiao Peng care so much? Just being able to fly 20 kilometers is awesome!

When they saw the flying skateboard being taken out of the box, the group of people looked at each other in silence for a while, and then suddenly they all burst into enthusiasm.

"I'll be the first to play!"

"Why? Let me try first!"

"Who here has more flying experience than me?"

"Kasin, stop messing around. This thing has a payload capacity of 80 kilograms! Don't you consider your own weight?"

"I believe in the quality of your Chinese products!"

"That won't do either, I want to be first!"

They say men are like children who never grow up, and it's true. Even men with families and children act one way in front of their wives and children, and another in front of their friends. A group of people fought tooth and nail to gain access to this machine.

Xiao Peng coughed dryly twice: "Come on, buddies, this thing is mine! I should play with it first, right?"

"No!" Everyone answered in unison, which scared Xiao Peng and the others.

Walter said, "Boss, what happened to you on the seabed a while ago almost scared us. This thing is a new thing after all, and no one is familiar with it. Safety cannot be guaranteed. We can't let you be the first to take risks!"

Hua Chong nodded and said, "I agree with this! That's why I have to go first."

"You wish! I'm the first one! I moved this out of the room!" said Walter.

Then the scene became noisy again.

Chen Zetao sighed, "Xiao, you are really important to everyone now. Look how worried everyone is about your safety."

"Ugh!" Xiao Peng spat out, "They obviously just want to play around!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the roar of a helicopter in the sky.

"Fabian is back!" Xiao Peng said, "We should have some clues about the German shipwreck."

Fabian and his team went to Berlin and Munich to research relevant information about the "Battle of Heligoland Bight" and interview relevant personnel to record the documentary.

Chen Zetao asked, "Is this the new helicopter you bought?"

Xiao Peng nodded: "Beautiful, right?"

Chen Zetao did not deny: "It is indeed very beautiful."

After the sea rescue, Xiao Peng bought a helicopter, an Airbus H160. Its blue and white paint job contrasts beautifully with the ocean and sky.

This helicopter bears a striking resemblance to the Dolphin and the Chinese Z-9 helicopter, a successor to the Dolphin. It can carry 12 people and offer Class 1 takeoff performance, making it suitable for use in inclement ocean weather, while also boasting a remarkable range of 833 kilometers.

Of course, this plane is also very expensive, almost the price of two "Dolphins".

It is expensive for a reason. This is the only civilian all-composite helicopter in the world. Most of its materials are from military helicopters of the past, which can reduce maintenance requirements, ensure passenger safety and reduce fuel consumption.

"Xiao, can you help me buy this helicopter?" Chen Zetao suddenly asked.

Xiao Peng was stunned: "Brother Chen, why do you still need me to buy it for you?"

Chen Zetao smiled bitterly and said, "I'm on the customer blacklist."

"Huh?" Xiao Peng asked, puzzled. "Why?"

Chen Zetao spread his hands and said, "I bought an AW139 and later 'transferred' it to a friend in China. This violated the customer code of conduct... and I was blacklisted by the industry."

Xiao Peng laughed after hearing this. What transfer? Isn't it just buying the things back and letting people study them?

"You are planning to put me on the blacklist as well." Xiao Peng said.

Chen Zetao shook his head and said, "No, this time I'll be researching it in Marseille...ah, rather, using it. I won't be bringing the plane back directly like last time."

Xiao Peng asked in confusion, "What's so worth studying about this civilian version of the H160?"

Chen Zetao said, "The engine. It's Turbomeca's 'Arrano' turboshaft engine, which integrates the results of Turbomeca's research projects over the years."

Xiao Peng whistled, "You're trying to prevent me from returning to France... But I don't care. I'll do it for you! I'll get you a military-grade weapon when I get a chance!"

Many people don’t know Turbomeca, but many people know Safran Group.

Safran, a French Fortune 500 company, is often involved in European rocket launches. The optoelectronics, avionics, navigation, and electronic software used on Xiao Peng's ship are all based on Safran technology. Even the fingerprint locks we use in our homes incorporate Safran's technology.

Turbomeca, a subsidiary of Safran, specializes in helicopter engines. While it's second to none in the global helicopter engine market, no one dares to claim first place. Today, helicopters produced by the world's leading civilian helicopter companies almost exclusively use Turbomeca engines. Their engines are used not only in civilian helicopters but also in military helicopters, such as the renowned Tiger helicopter.

China's engine problem has always been a weak point. Although fighter engine technology has made great progress with the help of a group of Ukrainian experts, it is still relatively backward in the field of helicopter engines. Countless people have racked their brains to obtain information on advanced Western helicopter engines.

Chen Zetao smiled and said, "Then I'll leave it to you to help me with this matter! Oh, I almost forgot about one more thing."